Revenue Per Click (RPC)

Revenue per click (RPC) measures the economic efficiency of an affiliate's traffic at the click level. The formula is simple: total affiliate earnings divided by total clicks for the same time period. An affiliate earning $5,000 from 10,000 clicks has an RPC of $0.50. While EPC (Earnings Per Click) is the more commonly referenced term and the two are often used interchangeably, RPC is sometimes distinguished in operator contexts where "revenue" refers specifically to the operator's gross revenue attributed to affiliate-driven clicks, not the affiliate's commission.

RPC becomes actionable when compared across traffic sources, landing pages, geos, and time periods. An affiliate running paid media can compare RPC against their cost per click to determine profitability per traffic source. Operators use aggregate RPC data to evaluate which affiliates deliver the highest-value traffic relative to volume. A partner with lower click volume but higher RPC often delivers more qualified users than a high-volume, low-RPC source that may include bot traffic or incentivized traffic.

The metric behaves differently across verticals because conversion rates and average commission values vary significantly. iGaming and online casino programs typically show higher RPC because deposit conversion rates are relatively strong and player values are high. Forex programs may show lower raw RPC but higher lifetime RPC once ongoing lot-based commission from active traders accumulates. Prop trading shows concentrated RPC around challenge purchase events. Tracking RPC alongside CTR and FTD rate gives a multi-dimensional view of traffic quality.